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1. An Editor's Brutal Critique of Bad Poetry

   A local poet brings his manuscript to the P-I office, only to have his work butchered by an editor with a cynical, practical sense of humor.

   Oct 16, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

2. The Struggle to Dredge the Snohomish

   Senator Squire lobbies federal engineers to clear the Snohomish River, highlighting the constant battle for infrastructure funding in a growing region.

   Feb 19, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSnohomish River, Everett, Snohomish CountyFollow the Money

3. A Held-Up Housewarming

   A friendship turns sour when a woman allegedly uses a revolver to reclaim jewelry and clothing from a neighbor.

   Feb 6, 1909The Tacoma Times1248 South D Street, Tacoma, Pierce CountyTrue Crime

4. A Tavern Shooting Over a Refused Drink

   A notorious local man opens fire in a saloon after a laborer refuses his offer to share a round.

   Aug 9, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyNightlife

5. 3,000 Acres of Reservation Land Pulled Off the Market — for a Town

   The Secretary of the Interior withdraws nearly 3,000 acres at the meeting of the Columbia and Okanogan rivers, deciding farmland is not the best use for ground inside the Colville Indian Reservation.

   May 13, 1909The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentBrewster, Okanogan CountyFollow the Money · Exclusion & Resistance

6. The Emergency Brake of 1892

   A clever new mechanism for Seattle's Woodland Park streetcar line promised to stop a runaway trolley car within its own length.

   Jun 16, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWoodland Park, Seattle, King CountyBoom & Bust · Strange But True

7. A Rare Shark Surfaces in Hood Canal

   A deep-sea fisherman pulls a species unknown to the Pacific from the waters of Puget Sound, stunning local museum curators.

   Dec 23, 1903The Evening StatesmanBrinnon, Jefferson CountyStrange But True

8. Bloody Jailbreak at Walla Walla

   Two prisoners pull off a brutal escape, leaving a sheriff and jailer wounded as a citizens' committee takes up the hunt.

   Dec 29, 1883Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyTrue Crime

9. The Midnight Stand of a Ruralita Station Agent

   A lone telegraph operator mistakes a visiting railroad superintendent for a robber, turning the tables with a toy revolver in a moment of high tension.

   Jan 11, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

10. The Flying Coupling: Engineer Shanno Chases Down a Runaway Locomotive

    When a detached engine tears toward Ellensburg, a quick-thinking engineer uncouples his own locomotive and catches the runaway on the fly.

    Oct 7, 1909The Newport Miner (Newport, WA) 1899-CurrentEllensburg, Kittitas CountyWork & Pay · Strange But True

11. Sunday Sabbath Burglary on University Street

    A resident returns home from church to find his house ransacked and sixty dollars missing.

    Apr 3, 1893The Seattle Post-Intelligencer601 University Street, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

12. The Barber Who Inhaled Gas and Ran Screaming Down Pacific Avenue

    A faulty gas arc left a new barber violently irrational and touched off a street struggle in Tacoma.

    Jan 2, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma, Pierce CountyStrange But True

13. The Perilous Climb of St. Peter's Lantern

    A daredevil’s afternoon of ‘roof climbing’ in 1876 Seattle turns into a life-or-death struggle when a simple stunt leaves him dangling a hundred feet above the pavement.

    Nov 20, 1876The Daily IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyStrange But True

14. A Deadly Feud Over Horsepower

    Two brothers face a police investigation after their competitive spirit leads to the death of a workhorse.

    Jun 18, 1894The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyCity Hall · Nightlife

15. The Battle for the Puyallup Line

    Commuters in Fern Hill join forces with the South End Improvement Club to protest service cuts on the Puyallup streetcar line.

    Mar 17, 1909The Tacoma TimesFern Hill, Tacoma, Pierce CountyBoom & Bust

16. The Pickpocket of South Third Avenue

    A notorious local grifter lands back in jail after a dance invitation turns into an attempted robbery in a downtown Seattle saloon.

    Jul 5, 1899The Seattle StarWashington Street, Seattle, King CountyTrue Crime

17. A Runaway Laundry Wagon

    Horses pull a laundry wagon down a steep Seattle hill, ending in a wreck that miraculously injures no one.

    Jun 11, 1893The Seattle Post-IntelligencerColumbia Street, Seattle, King CountyStrange But True

18. Vancouver Block Destroyed by Fire

    A massive blaze erupts in the early morning hours, causing thousands of dollars in property damage and leaving a man critically injured.

    Mar 16, 1861Washington StandardMain Street, Vancouver, Clark CountyDisasters

19. Stadium Construction Site Leads to Youth's Arrest

    A 15-year-old student finds himself behind bars after interfering with the construction machinery at the new high school stadium.

    May 10, 1909The Tacoma TimesTacoma Stadium, Tacoma, Pierce County

20. A Desperate Escape from a Bear in Covington

    A settler finds himself treed by a pair of angry bears and relies on a faithful dog to help him survive the encounter.

    Mar 25, 1886Seattle Daily Post-IntelligencerCovington, King CountyStrange But True

21. Daylight Raid on Anacortes

    A trio of thieves plundered a waterfront home and fled into the maze of islands, sparking a dramatic boat chase.

    Jun 13, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerWaterfront, Anacortes, Skagit CountyTrue Crime

22. The Storekeeper's Trap

    A local clerk manages to outwit a thief in a high-stakes standoff at a country store.

    Jul 2, 1903The Evening StatesmanWalla Walla, Walla Walla CountyTrue Crime

23. The Post Office Tug-of-War

    White Bluffs residents find themselves caught in a relentless cycle of conflicting petitions regarding the location of their post office.

    Feb 25, 1916White Bluffs SpokesmanWhite Bluffs, Benton CountyCity Hall · Strange But True

24. The Coming of the Dam

    The federal government pulls three islands from public entry at Priest Rapids, clearing a major hurdle for a proposed mega-dam.

    Mar 20, 1925White Bluffs SpokesmanPriest Rapids, White Bluffs, Kittitas CountyFollow the Money

25. Outcry After Steamer Captain Fails to Rescue Men from Collapsed Wharf

    A Seattle harbor accident ignites public debate over a captain's choice to pull away from a sinking structure.

    Dec 3, 1892The Seattle Post-IntelligencerSeattle, King CountyWork & Pay · Disasters

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